News

Severely obese people costing fire service tens of thousands

Georgia Davis in Aberdare, south Wales, was rescued using a specially-made ramp (Marc Giddings)

SEVERELY obese people are costing British fire and rescue services thousands
of pounds for each incident, leading some to refuse assistance to all but
those in emergency need.

The services responded to more than 2,700 calls in the past five years for a
variety of reasons, including people stuck in baths, obese people who need
to be transported to hospital and for undertakers unable to move the largest
bodies.

The news came to light from a BBC Radio 5 live freedom of information request. Of
the 53 fire and rescue services that responded, South Wales attended the
most calls during the period from April 2007 to April 2012, 189.

The most expensive incident in England in that period was a £5,000 rescue
by Hereford and Worcester fire and rescue service.

London, South Yorkshire and West Midlands all incurred total costs exceeding
£50,000 in those five years, leading to a change